Thermal conductivity cell



Aug. 21, 1934. w. F. HAMILTON THERMAL CONDUCTIVI'IY CELL Filed March 25, 1932 INVENTOR WILLIAM F. HAMILTON BY I NEYS Patented Aug. 21, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT "OFFICE" THERMAL GONDUCTIVITY CELL William F. Hamilton,

New York, N. Y., asslgnor to Charles Engelhard, Ine,, Newark, N. J.,.a corporation of New Jersey Appiication March 25, 1932, Serial No. 601,094

4 Claim.

This invention relates in general to thermal conductivity cells as used, for example, in gas analysis.

Gas analysis apparatus as heretofore designed and constructed has been quite expensive. The poor sensitivity of the gas chamber unit has been such as to require the use of very delicate meters or recording devices, which impose a serious item of expense on the apparatus. The gas chamber unit itself has also been made a relatively expensive element as a result 01' the refinements the unit is employed. By reason of the new principles oi'construction employed, much less sen- "sitivity ln the meter or recording device is required, and hence the considerable cost of such meters or recording devices as heretofore ensployed'issubstantially lowered.

Certain embodiments of 'the invention are shown in illustrative Iorm drawing, in which Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section through one form of the gas chamber unit, mounted in a pipe Tior exposure to thegas to beanalyaed Figure 2 is a cross-section thereof on the line 2-2 of Figure 1. Y j

Figure 3 is a similar view oi a modified disposition of the resistance wires in the unit.

Figure 4 is a central longitudinal section, similar to Figure 1, showing one of the units with a closed gas space. 1

Figure 5 is an external view of the panel mounting of two units, such as shown in Figures 1 and 4,]ior comparison 01 an unknown with a known m: and

Figure 6 is a diagram of a Wheatstone's bridge circuit, which may be employed in the apparatus.

Thermal conductivity cells, of the type to which my invention relates primarily, serve to indicate the proportions of the known constituents of a gas mixture by the heat conductivity of the mixture. To perform this function, the cells are provided with resistance wires mounted in a gas space ac-v cessible to the gas to be analyzed, and have passed humidity and dampness conditions, and,

in the accompanying.

18' and 19', which project into the-gas chamber through these resistance wires-small heating currents which, for a given applied voltage, raise their temperature to a point dependent-upon the thermal conductivity of their gaseous environment. Heat developed inv the resistance wires is conducted throughthe gas to the walls or 2- .the gas chamber, and thus a stable filament ternperature is reached when the heat loss or dissipation equals the. heat generated by the applied voltage. The resistance wire temperature deter mines its resistance, and by suitably connecting such resistance wires in a Wheatstone's bridge circuit, indications or records of the gas conductivity, and hence the proportions 01' its known constituents, maybe derived.

The unit illustrated in Figure l is mounted a pipe T connection 10 by the threaded endoila I nipple 11 which provides the gas chamber 12 in communication with the gas to be tested, which may be passed through the mainline of the T connection 10 and ,chamber 12. The outer end 01' the-nipple 11 181 oi suitable bore (preferably larger than the bore or gas chamber 12) to receive the copper tube 13. 1 The peripheral ring 13' drawn tightly down against or the nipple 11 by means oi'acompr'ession nut 14. Through the bore 0! copper tube 13 extends a porcelain insulator core 15 provided with four ducts or bores for the lead-in wires 16, 17, 18 and 19, terminating in small nickel spud wires 16, 17

12. As shown clearly in Figures 1 and 2, a helical filamentary resistance wire 20 is stretched from spud wire 16 to spud wire 17 on an axis substantlally perpendicular to the main axis oi the gas chamber 12, and a. similar resistance wire 21 is stretched between the ends of spud wires 18", 19 on an axis which is also substantially perpendicular to the main axisoi'nipple 11. In this embodiment, the spud wires 18, 19*.project further into the gas chamber 12 than the spud wires 16* and 17-, and the two resistance wires 20 and 21 are disposed in planes at right angles to each other to minimize the thermal influence oi the one upon the other. helical filamentary resistance wires 20' and 21' are mounted on axes which are disposed parallel to each other but transversely of the main axis or gas chamber 12. In this example, the supporting spud wires oi. one resistance mayor may not 105 project a different distanceinto the gas chamber from those'oi the other.

The lead-in wires 16, 17,18 and 19 are preferably sealed in the porcelain insulator core 15,

by means of sealing wax or the and thecore r permitted to diiluse into the gas on copper 'tube- 13 isi the chamiered end In Figure 3 of the drawing,

' tained at such positions as may be desired within the gas chamber 12. Greater time lag in obtaining a reading will prevail when the filaments are more remote from the main line of pipe T fitting 10, and less time lag will prevail as the filaments are mounted closer to the main line. The sealing of the lead-in wire passages and the seating of the compression fitting 14 upon the end of nipple 11, efiectively close the gas chamber 12 against any direct flow of gas through the chamber 12, 'so that communication between such chamber and the main line of the gas supply is substantially dependent upon diffusion and convection, and thus the disturbing influence o! extraneous gas currents around the filaments and 21 is practically eliminated.

The construction shown in Figure 4 is the same as that already described in connection with Figure 1, with the exception of the substitution of a closure cap 22 for the T fitting .10 of Figure 1. Obviously, the parts may otherwise be identical.

In Figure 5, the mounting of the parts shown in Figures 1 and 4 includes a panel 23, which may beoi either conductive or insulating mate- J or highly switch H to the point rial, but when of material which is not a good conductor of heat it is supplemented by a strip conductive metal 24, which maintains a temperature equalization between the two units for the purposes of avoiding certain errors which would otherwise occur in the observations.

Referring to Figure circuit includes the resistances A, B, C, D, of which A and D may, for example, be the filaments 20 and 21 oi. Figure 1, exposed to the gas to be analyzed, and resistances C and B may be the filaments manently confined by the cap 22, if desired. E represents a source 0! energizing current which is connected at one side to the point F, and at the other side through a variable resistance G and I. A slide contact or tap K is movable along the resistance L, and is connected with the switch point M. A switch arm N may be moved into contact with switch point M to connect into the bridge circuit a micro-ammeter 0 by way of the conductor P, which is connected at a suitable point Q in the resistance R. which is normally at the same voltage as the point at which the slide or tap K is connected to the resistance L. A second connection is made with the resistance Rat any desired point B, so that by closing the switch arm N on a contact T, which is connected with point 8, the meter 0 may be shunted across a portion of the resistance R to serve as a measure of the current passing through the bridge while adjusting the resistance G. Ad- 'iustment of the slide contact on resistance G determines the strength or current supplied to the bridge, and adjustment of tap K on resistance L, with switch N closed meter 0 to be readily brought to a desired normal reading from which a departure either above or below will indicate a change in the composition of the gas in the gas chamber 12. Such adjustment will normally be made prior to the admission of the gas to be tested. When this adjustment has been made, the unknown gas is permitted to flow through the main line of the T connection 10, and by difiusion into chamber 12 will affect the thermal conductivity 'prevailing therein and thus determine the temperature at which the temperature of the two filaments A 6, the Wheatstone's bridge 20 and 21 shown in Figure 4, where they are exposed to a known, gas which may be per on M, will then enable the and D' (Figure 6) will become stabilised. Such temperature will determine the resistance of the corresponding branches of the bridge. The resistances C and B of the bridge will become stabilized at a temperature dependent upon the conductivity of the gas space or the cell illustrated in- Figure 4. The voltage difference between points; K and Q will vary with the heat conductivity or the gas within the chamber 12 in Figure 1 and cause a deflection oi the meter or recording-device which may be interpreted in terms of percentage composition of the known constituents oi the gas mixture passing through the main line of the pipe T connection 10.

The parts employed in the construction or this thermal conductivity cell are standard constructions of wide industrial use and readily available at reasonable cost. The helical resistance wires 20, 21 may be, for example, tungsten filaments from standard switchboard incandescent lamps, or straight nichrome wire. The lead-in. wires 16, 17, 18 and 19 may be ordinary iron wire, the porcelain insulators 15 e in common use in many electrical fixtures, the compression fitting 11, 13 14 is produced in large quantity tor copper tube connections. By the use of iron leadin wires, thermal conductivity of the filament leads is maintained comparatively low, with consequent reduction in the tendency to dissipate heat energy from the filaments through the supports. By the, use of short helical tungsten filaments, the positive temperature coefiicient o! the tungsten confers good sensitivity, and the arrangement oi-these filaments on axes perpendicular to the walls of the gas chamber greatly reduces the local transfer or heat from the filaments into the adjacent wall surfaces and, because 01 the large area of contact with the gas, imposes much greater dependence upon the conductivity of the enclosed gas in leading off beat rrom the filaments and delivering it to the chamber walls. The effect of wall corrosion on the response of the instrument is thus reduced, and the metal walls may be left .bare and unlined.- Such filament construction and mounting also provide mechanical strength and steadiness corrosion practically negligible, perhaps due to the much greater proportion of the temperature drop occurring in the gas and the reduction or radiation efiects. The particular test circuit illustrated in Figure 8 may be regarded as merely conventional, as thermal conductivity cells are employed in-many diflerent ways and employ many different circuits. The known gas may, of course, be air or any other standard of comparison, and either confined, as shown in Figure 4, or supplied, as shown in Figure 1. While I have mentioned the use of iron lead-in wires, it is obvious that other materials oi! low thermal conductivity and fair electrical conductivity may be employed, such as for example nickel or constantan alloy, to limit the metallic conduction of heat away from the filaments 20 and 21, and reduce temperature coefilcient effects in the leads.

I claimz-e- 1, A thermal conductivity cell comprising in with the ends of said lead-in wires transversely across said gas 1,071,0ae H a one end, a metal tube sealed in the other end 01 said nipple, a porcelain insulator core extending throuah said metal tube and having a pair 01 lead-in wires passing through ducts to saidass chamber, and a resistance filament connected and extending chamber."

3. A thermal conductivity cell comprisina in combination a nipple havina a sac chamber in one end, a metal tube entering the other end of said nipple. a compression fitting for securingand sealing said metal tube to said nipple, a porcelain insulator core sealed in said metal tube and having a pair of ducts leading to said as chamber, a pair of lead-in wires extending through said ducts to said gas chamber-with projections intothe-tree space thereof, and aresistance filament mounted; on the ends of said projections and extending oi the axis of said gas chamber.

4. In a thermal conductivity cell, a pair of nonparallel resistance elements, said elements being positioned in parallel planes generally transverse to the longitudinal axis of the cell.

WIILIAM 1". HAmTOR.

, i no generally transversely 

